Addressing Issues That Affect Public Safety

Jacksonville’s First Responders are constantly called upon to put themselves at risk and do so knowing the dangers of their job on their mind, body, and spirit. Nationwide, death and injury because of job related illnesses and public violence on first responders has continued to increase without a hint of subsiding. Firefighters, like Police officers, have always reported to work with the knowledge that dangers exist just by pulling on that uniform but, today’s attacks on those that arrive to emergency scenes first has become more focused and disturbingly more common.

Job related illnesses have also increased despite newer and more advanced safety gear and policies. Why? One common opinion is that a house fire in 1952 was more “natural” in material and composition. Firefighters entered structures that were on fire back then but exposure to what burns in today’s homes and businesses is much different than back in the 50s or 60s. Most of today’s modern building materials are made of a chemical soup of binding and glued substances that is the now the norm rather than the exception. A solid oak cabinet is now laced with chemicals that didn’t even exist back in the early 1950’s. Breathing apparatus for firefighters has become part of the armor of first responders and to go inside a building on fire today is now unthinkable, except in the most dire of circumstances to save a life. Why then are firefighters dying of such increased rates of cancer than their predecessors? Possibly, documentation standards have increased and/or studies that pull the blanket back on the real issue of firefighter death and injury statistics is more readily available.

Either way, the increased dangers of these occupational exposures and the disturbing trend of attacks to first responders has changed the way firefighters and police officers enter and render aid. Terms like improvised explosive devices (ied’s), situational awareness, and responder targeting has been added to every training scenario when dealing with the people we are supposed to be protecting.

These issues will not be resolved by operating as normal but must be addressed before that next chemical laden fire is called in or that next disturbed individual decides to ambush those that raised their hand to pledge an oath to serve and protect the citizens of Jacksonville.

Numerous studies have proven that the risk of being diagnosed with cancer is higher among firefighters than the general population. One such study, conducted in 2006 by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, reviewed 32 studies on firefighters to determine the cancer risk. The study’s results confirmed previous findings of an elevated risk for multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, prostate, and testicular cancers. Eight additional cancers were listed as having a “possible” association with firefighting. Similarly, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed 42 studies and reported significant summary risks for prostatic and testicular cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, concluding that firefighter exposures were “possibly” carcinogenic to humans.

In a three-year study completed in 2005 by the University of Cincinnati, researchers concluded that firefighters face a:

“Firefighters are exposed to numerous cancer-causing substances,” said head researcher Grace LeMasters. “I think obviously they have not got enough protection from that exposure. We feel that the protective gear that protects them from acute exposures, such as heat and carbon monoxide, doesn’t protect them from the chemical residues that cause cancer.”

This October 29th in downtown Jacksonville there is something going on that you can’t miss. Starting the day off, hundreds of Jacksonville Professional Firefighters will don their formal uniforms and assemble to honor those that have fallen in defense of Jacksonville and its citizens. The families of the these honored fallen will be present and those that shape the vision of Jacksonville will be on hand to pay homage. Where will you be? Last year all of those that live and work downtown filled the streets to see the first somber march or “Sea of Blue” of Jacksonville’s Bravest.

The march will start the morning of October 29th, 9 a.m. at the Jacksonville Landing. The procession will proceed through downtown to the front of city hall and then return to Bay street where the final destination will be the Jacksonville Fire Museum at Metro Park. Here the families of the fallen will meet those that have to come honor their sacrifice for Jacksonville and its citizens. All the names of those that lost their lives in the service as Jacksonville Firefighters will be recited and the Sea of Blue will have succeeded in their mission. Join us and become a part of Jacksonville’s history.

This blog is meant to yield information to Jacksonville Firefighters, their friends and ultimately to the public.

Please take the time and listen to IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger on why ELECTIONS MATTER! We cannot stress the importance for you, as voters, to not look at party affiliation as a single reason to vote for your representatives in Florida and Washington D.C. It is not hard to see the attacks that public employees have endured over the last several years and connect that to a culture of fear-mongering and pure philosophical opinions.

We, as firefighters, have seen an unprecedented increase in health issues during career service and after retirement that has yet to be fully studied or acknowledged by our representatives in Tallahassee and D.C. But, despite that knowledge, firefighters have always been honest, hard-working, and dedicated to the citizens that we serve.

Firefighters must know that when they put themselves in harm’s way, that the citizens they serve have their backs. This means paying firefighters a fair wage with affordable benefits, and a sound retirement plan. That is why voting collectively for our representatives is so crucial. It takes all of us to rally behind those that support us, regardless of party affiliation. We can quiet our foes politically by voting together before they do us and our families irreparable harm. Our foes think they have all the answers and they like to pontificate that they know what is the amount you should earn and the benefits that you should receive. Don’t leave that conversation one-sided! We must have allies in our elected officials and we must be a part of the conversation.

The elections that are coming up on November 4th 2014, and then in early 2015 are going to be pivotal to the firefighters of Jacksonville. Please take the time to VOTE with your eyes wide open!

In response to a Editorial article from Ron Littlepage on the Times Union’s publication, Randy Wyse has issued a response to the Florida Times Union on the validity and shortcomings of several erroneous statements made by the article. To see the opinion article by Ron Littlepage click the attached link.

As I read your column this morning, I have a sense that you don’t understand (or purposely omit) a few things that are key to the pension debate.

You quote John Keane saying “We’re not going to make any changes for current employees.” The part you get right is that Mr. Keane’s job is to administer the fund. In administering any fund, it is the responsibility of the administrator to abide by any court ruling that tells the fund the benefit structure and how the fund is run.

The part you get wrong is that pension benefits are set through collective bargaining with the Fraternal Order of Police and the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters. The Jacksonville Association of Firefighters has maintained that the 30 year contract between the City of Jacksonville and the Police and Fire Pension fund is binding. If you look back through the collective bargaining agreements over the last 4 decades, you will not find any language that relates to pension benefits. Any agreement over pension reform must be between the City of Jacksonville and the Pension fund. The Pension Fund and the City of Jacksonville have come to two agreements over the last 3 years as it relates to pension reform. One agreement with Mayor Peyton and one agreement with Mayor Brown. There were several reasons why neither of these agreements were accepted by the City Council, most of them political.

The unfunded liability is the biggest cost driver as it relates to the City’s annual payment to the Police and Fire pension fund. The Mayor’s Task Force has done great work identifying ways to pay down the unfunded liability. I hope our city leaders will choose to use some of these ideas which will greatly assist with the annual contribution to the fund.

I think it is time to unlatch your simple mind on the thoughts that Police Officers and Firefighters are unwilling to help fix the pension problem. The Times Union would be well served by assisting the citizens of Jacksonville on understanding the whole pension problem.

As we come out of the holidays, the Florida Times Union has again fired up their engines in an attempt to convince everyone that the City of Jacksonville is being sucked into a black hole because of the Police and Fire Pension Fund. And as they have done in the past, they have inserted more slant than fact into their story.

In April of 2013, a settlement was reached between the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund in mediation sanctioned by a FEDERAL judge. Times Union Propaganda Minister Frank Denton then filed suit against the city and the fund, citing violation of sunshine laws. Recently, local judge Waddell Wallace issued a ruling in favor of Denton and the TU, citing that the deal, in his opinion, did in fact violate sunshine laws.

This led to the Times Union trumpeting their “victory” on the front page of their paper and website, heralding Wallace’s decision as a monster victory for those fighting for sunshine. In all of their excitement of winning however, the Times Union never posted Wallace’s ruling on their website. Why would a newspaper that puts everything on its website (employee salary databases, sex offender databases, FCAT scores, the lawsuits they file, etc,) not put this moment of glory on their website for all to see????

It is simple….Because if you read the entire ruling, you know Wallace punted. That is not front page sensationalism. That is not a victory for sunshine. The TU can’t have that.

If one was engaged enough toread the ruling, one would find Wallace’s decision leaves a little caveat at the end….

Defendants shall not be in violation of this judgment of injunction if they are ordered by a federal court, based on federal law, to conduct mediation negotiations in private; provided that the parties have previously informed the federal court that they are subject to this injunction, and have taken all reasonable steps to seek a waiver of the local rales for the federal district to allow the mediation to be conducted in public for the purpose of carrying out the mandates in the constitution and statutes of the State of Florida that collective bargaining with governmental units be conducted in public.

So again I ask- Why does a newspaper that posts all of its achievements online for everyone to read not post this apparent significant and noteworthy ruling for all to see??

After reading this latest attempt at deceiving its dwindling readership, and realizing that this is the time of year that we review the previous year’s events, I decided to recap the TU in 2013 in just a few short paragraphs.

Wednesday October 30th, 2013

The Times Union, using front page font reserved for events that have changed history forever, reports that the Police and Fire Pension Fund is one of the worst in the nation, based upon this free report from The Pew Foundation. It is pasted on the front page for all to see.

At no time has the Times Union run the first story on the negative effects the Pew Foundation has had in other areas of the nation or that it is funded by the same billionaires that destroyed Enron. They travel from place to place and propose the same exact plan which destroys retirement plans for many. They just promote Pew’s offer for “Free help.”

Thursday October 31st and/or Friday November 1st, 2013

It is somewhere in these two days that it is realized the big anti pension article from Wednesday was incorrect. This was obvious as the Times Union had already begun writing the story for the weekend edition.

Saturday November 2nd, 2013

The Times Union prints a story about the previous Pew report and how the numbers were inaccurate. This story is bumped to the Metro section and ran on the Saturday where the entire city is immersed in the Florida/Georgia game and festivities.

When asked about the move to the Metro section, the Times Union hid behind the big Charlie Crist for Governor announcement as if no one knew that was coming. Charlie Crist had only looked like he was running for the previous year. But, this was apparently more breaking news to the Times Union than the fact that they misinformed the public yet again.

Sunday March 5th, 2013

The Times Union runs a piece on a UNF poll titled “Poll finds some surprising support for tax increases.” It centers on a poll conducted by UNF that covers many facets of life in Jacksonville, asking about such things as infrastructure improvements and maintaining libraries. However, the TU begins the second paragraph with an assault on the Police and Fire Pension Fund. It concludes its attack with “Other Results of the Poll,” making one think the pension was part of the poll.

Amazingly enough, if you read the poll conducted by UNF, it doesn’t even have the word pension in it. There is no question on pensions. There is no mention of police officers and fire fighters. The Times Union deliberately deceived readers into thinking that UNF’s poll focuses on their contrived “pension crisis.”

And of course…..the newspaper that posts everything for you to read has no link to the poll in its article so you can’t read it. But don’t worry, we got it for you right here.

These evident pieces of poor journalism show a slanted and malicious organization with an agenda. The job of a community newspaper is supposed to be to report the news. The Times Union has done Jacksonville and its citizens a huge disservice by promoting their slanted agenda for all to see.

This city has so much potential. It has many good things going for it. As this city’s only newspaper, the Times Union has an obligation to report to its constituents fair and accurate reporting, free of the opinions and grudges in its news stories. This is what made newspapers of the past the great institutions they were. Sadly, this version of the Times Union only soils the industry so many before them made respectable.

Moms are constantly trying to find ways to keep their little ones safe. Yet, especially with certain kids, it seems like they find new ways of putting themselves in danger faster than you can keep them out of it. If you are the parent of a preschooler, consider these out-of-the-box ways of keeping your little treasures safe from themselves.

Put Your Hand Here

Local Jacksonville business Ten23 Designs has just launched a new product designed to help keep your little one safe in parking lots. Many moms know the trick of telling your little one to put their hand on the car until you can safely take their hand. This hand-shaped self-stick decal that you apply to your car is the perfect reminder and gives your little one their very own special spot to put their hand each and every time.

Customize Your Home Security Sensors

High quality home security systems give you the option of placing activity sensors where you want throughout your home. While many homeowners will place them on exterior doors and windows, the home with a preschooler should also consider putting activity sensors on medicine cabinets, the entrance to the kitchen, gun cabinets, liquor cabinets and the pool gate. Anything that can provide you with a warning to give you time to save your child from trouble is priceless.

You’re Never Too Young to Know How to Survive in Water

Life in Florida is fantastic in so many ways. However, there is one risk that is higher here than in most other states and that is the risk of accidental drowning. Even if you don’t have a swimming pool, chances are a neighbor or family member has one and it only takes an instant of inattention for a child to find his way into the pool. One of the best investments the parents of small children can make is ISR – Infant Swimming Resource. ISR is a program that teaches children as young as 6 months old how to survive in water.

There are many risks that await your children from the time they become mobile until they move out of the house. Keep an open dialogue with them about safety and do safety drills until you are comfortable that they would know what to do in the case of an emergency. Implement safety strategies like the ones above and help your child stay safe.